Wanted: Everyday Mommy
by Batasyl
Summary: Six-year-old Samantha Friar wanted a mommy. Her Kindergarten teacher was nice and pretty and she made Samantha feel Special Maybe her daddy, Lucas, was a little sad sometimes, a little lonely. But Samantha had a plan to change all of that. A plan to make her teacher and her daddy see that they can be a perfect family...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**  
Lucas Friar was a jerk.

Riley Matthews leaned against the hood of her car glaring at the locked gates to the sprawling ranch and repeated the words like a mantra. Jerk. Jerk. Jerk.

He was a narcissistic egomaniac who thought the entire world had nothing better to do but impinge on his personal space. Of course he would have locked gates. He wasn't about to give mere mortals easy access to him.

Too darn bad. She had to talk to him today. If repeated phone calls, letters and emails weren't going to do the trick, she would just have to bust down these gates until the man agreed to talk to her.

She sighed. Well, okay, that probably wasn't the most brilliant idea she had ever come up with. As much as she adored her eggplant colored Mini, she was afraid it didn't have the necessary gumption to break through a couple of eight–foot–high iron gates.

Failure was not an option, though. She and the jerk in question had been heading for this shoot–out for three weeks. Whether he knew it or not — or whether he even cared — she had given Lucas Friar an ultimatum in her mind. His time for avoiding her had just run out.

She eyed the gates, all eight menacing feet of them. She hadn't grown up in New York with uncles, a brother and Maya without learning a thing or two about hurdling fences and climbing up fire escapes. She just wished Maya is here with her. Adventures like this is more Maya's forte than hers. Climbing the man's gate wouldn't exactly be easy, but he wasn't giving her a lot to work with here.

She sighed, grateful at least that she was wearing jeans. She had to jump three times before she could reach the crossbar on the fence. From there, it was easy enough to hoist herself up. She perched along the top bar for just a moment — only long enough to catch a terrifying glimpse of a horse and rider heading toward her at a neck–or–nothing pace.

Rats. It was too far to jump unless she wanted to risk a broken ankle, so she had to slither down like one of her kindergarten children on the monkey bars. She hit the ground and turned around just as a gorgeous horse raced up in a swirling cloud of dust.

Riley caught a quick glimpse of the horse's rider and her pulse rate kicked up a notch. Her mouth suddenly felt as dry as a dessert. It was the jerk himself. She couldn't mistake those chiseled features and that strong jaw for anyone else.

She had a quick mental picture of him dribbling to shake off the opposing team's point guard then aiming to shoot the ball from the three point line, scoring and once again winning the game for the Knicks. She loved that game. She loved all his game.

Lucas reined the horse in and tipped his hat back. Riley took an instinctive step back at the menace on his features. Had she ever really been young and so stupid to think she was hopelessly in love with him?

"You've got two choices here, lady," he growled. "You either climb back the way you came or we wait here until the sheriff shows up to arrest you for trespassing. Which one do you prefer?"

A chorus line of nerves started tap–dancing in her stomach, and she couldn't seem to think straight with those emerald eyes boring into her.

"Go ahead and call the sheriff, Mr. Friar. In fact," she added brightly, "I can do it for you if you'd like, since I've got him on speed dial on my cell phone. I have all the important people on speed dial. The sheriff is number 7, right after Uncle Eric. I should probably put him on number 6 since I call him more often than Uncle Eric. But the sheriff is not family so it wouldn't be fair. Still, he's almost like family. Maybe I should put Uncle Eric on number 5 and put Principal Evans on seven instead. But like I said, the sheriff is number 7 so it would be easy to get him here fast if that's what you want to do —" By the time she had the sense to realize she was rambling and could manage to clamp her teeth together to stem the gushing flow of stupidity, Lucas Friar's famously gorgeous eyes had started to cross.

This was all his own fault, she thought, crabby all over again. He didn't need to sit there on his horse and glower at her like she was a robber.  
"I'm sorry," she said stiffly. "You don't care about any of that. When I'm nervous I ramble."

"I hadn't noticed," he muttered, with such condescension she wanted to smack him.

"Enlightening family history aside, you're still trespassing — an eight–foot–high locked iron gate is usually a big tip–off there."

She drew in a cleansing breath and let it out again. This wasn't going well. She needed to put aside her instinctive nervous reaction to her silly heartthrob and focus on the crisis at hand — the reason she was there.

"It's your own fault. If you weren't such a …a darn hermit maybe I wouldn't have to resort to such drastic measures."

He blinked. "A hermit?"

"Yes! How am I supposed to talk to you if you hardly leave this ranch?"  
"I happen to like my privacy, Ms…"

She drew herself up to her full five–foot–six inches tall and glared at him with all the frustration that had been burning through her for three weeks. "Riley Matthews. Samantha's kindergarten teacher. Whether you want to be bothered or not, it is imperative I talk to you about your daughter."

Lucas looked down at the soft brunette peach in the dusty pink sweater who had just scaled his gate like some kind of Olympic gymnast. Samantha's kindergarten teacher. He winced, embarrassed he had mistaken her for an obsessed fan.

Though he had walked away from the NBA two years ago and moved back to Texas without a backward glance, away from the attention he had never wanted, sometimes it followed him. He wasn't obsessive about security. But what else was he supposed to think when he spied a woman climbing over his gate?

"Kind of a drastic measure to take for a parent–teacher conference, don't you think?" he asked as he slid down from his horse.

Her brown eyes narrowed at him and he had to admit, up close she was seriously pretty. Tall and feminine, with long brown curls held back in a headband and dimples that appeared even when she was glaring at him.

She looked like a cream puff. Like a delicious, sugary, melt–in–your–mouth confection. He had sworn off sweets a long time ago, but that didn't make the sudden intense craving any easier to ignore.

"I wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic measures as climbing your stupid gate if you could be bothered just once to answer one of my dozens of pleas to set up a meeting."

She didn't let him answer — not that he had the first idea what she was talking about.

"I realize you're a very busy, very important man," she snapped, her hands fisted on her hips.

How did the curl of those luscious lips make the words sound like an epithet? he wondered.

"I'm sure you must have scores of people to see and all that," she went on. "But you're a basketball player — or you used to be, anyway. Couldn't you at least pretend you care about your child?"

He jerked his attention from her lips as her words filtered through. "Excuse me?"

"You probably pay more attention to that horse of yours than you do to your own daughter!"

Lucas was usually pretty good at keeping his temper under wraps now a days. But he wasn't about to let some sanctimonious schoolteacher question how he raised his daughter. Samantha was the most important thing in his life. The only thing that mattered. Everything he did was for her and he didn't take kindly to anyone insinuating otherwise.

"You don't know anything about me or about my daughter if you can say that."

The cream puff didn't exactly deflate in the face of his anger, but she did back down a little.

"I'm sorry," she said stiffly. "But for three weeks I have been trying every method under the sun, except carrier pigeons, to get your attention, and you have ignored every single one of my attempts to contact you. If you were in my shoes, wouldn't you have the same impression, of an uninvolved parent who doesn't care a hill of beans about his daughter's education? I finally decided I would talk to you today, even if I had to climb your gate to do it." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the kind reviews and comments. Enjoy reading lovely people :)**

 _x x x_

 **Chapter 2**

He tipped his hat back farther, completely baffled by the obvious concern in her voice. "I'm sure this is some kind of a mistake. I haven't heard anything about any problems Samantha might be having in school. Did you talk to her great–uncle about it?"

She moved forward, so close he could smell her, like vanilla and strawberries. His mouth instantly watered but he pushed it aside.

"Several times," she answered, oblivious — he hoped — to his sudden hunger. "Joe has promised me that he and Samantha talked about it and Samantha promised him things would change. But nothing has."

The school term had been underway for a month now and he had been under the impression everything was fine. There was an overflowing educational opportunities in Texas but Lucas opted to send his five–year–old daughter to a public school. He could have hired tutors for Samantha when she reached school–age, but he wanted her to have the most normal life possible. To him, that meant school lunch and recess and spelling bees.

All the things he never had.

It was tough enough on a kid having a dad who had once been a celebrity. He hadn't wanted to make things harder on Samantha by showing up at her school all the time and reminding everyone of it, so he and his grandfather had agreed he would be his go–between with the school.

Joe is his grandfather, mentor and confidante. He had raised him, after all, and had been the logical person to turn for help raising Samantha the day she had been dumped on him when she was only two months old.

He loved Joe dearly, but he did have a bad habit of trying to solve all his problems for him.

"Pappy Joe or Samantha never said a word about any trouble at school. In fact, all I hear from Samantha is how much she loves it. She talks about it all the time. About her friends and how much she's learning and how much she loves her teacher. I guess that would be you."

Miss Matthews had been the major topic of conversation since school started a month ago, he reflected. Samantha had jabbered endlessly about how pretty and nice and smart her teacher was, until he had begun to dislike the woman before he'd even met her.

Just now the nice, pretty teacher was staring at him like he was the alien space creature from a sci-fi movie.

"She said she loved her teacher? Are we talking about the same child here? Mr. Friar, your daughter hates school! And me! Or at least she manages to give a very convincing impression of a child who does."

"Hates it? You've got to be kidding! She doesn't talk about anything else!"

"The first week of the school year, things seemed fine. Samantha was making friends, she was enthusiastic about learning, she was attentive in class and participated in discussions. Then three weeks ago, everything changed."

"Three weeks ago?"

"Right. I've seen a dramatic turnaround. Samantha has gone from being a sweet little girl to one who seems absolutely miserable, from the moment she arrives at lunchtime to when she leaves at the end of the day. She is sullen and uncooperative. If I call on her in class, she clamps her lips together and she turns every assignment over on her desk without even putting her name on it."

He stared, his mind churning to make sense of this. "That's not like Samantha at all. This can't be right."

"Look, Mr. Friar, I'm only trying to get to the bottom of the rapid change in Samantha's behavior. Have you noticed a similar change at home?"

"No. She's been the same as always — energetic, curious, a little on the mischievous side, maybe. But overall, she's a great kid."

Her prickly attitude seemed to soften a little at his words. "I'll admit, I'm stumped. Did anything happen about three weeks ago that might have contributed to her acting out?"

He wracked his brain, trying to think back. They had made a quick weekend trip to L.A. to visit his friend Zay who was having an engagement party to celebrate his second marriage. That was the only thing that came to mind. "I don't know. I can't think of anything specific."

"I must tell you, I'm wondering if perhaps Samantha is not quite ready for kindergarten. Some children take longer to mature than others, especially if there is some…upheaval in their lives."

She said the last part with such subtle contempt that he simmered. She didn't know anything about him — except maybe what she read in the tabloids.

"You're wrong, Ms. Matthews. Samantha has been ready for kindergarten since she was three years old. She is smart and precocious and curious and loves learning. I can't imagine what's happened since she started in your classroom to change that."

Her gaze narrowed and he realized how his words could be misconstrued. "You can bet I intend to find out," he said quickly. "I'm sure once we sit down together we can figure out what's going on. Samantha and Pappy Joe have gone shopping for the day or I would go grab her right now and have this out. Any chance you can come back later?"

"I have plans tonight," she said stiffly, a hint of color in her cheeks. A hot date? he wondered, and was stunned at his disappointment.

"We can make an appointment to meet one day this week after school," she offered.

"I'm leaving Monday to go to Denver on a horse–buying trip until Friday. What about tomorrow night? We'll even throw in dinner for your trouble."

A host of emotions flashed through those expressive eyes — reluctance at the forefront among them, something that suddenly annoyed him. "I…yes. I suppose that would be all right."

"Does seven sound okay?"

She nodded those soft curls. "Yes."

"This has got to be a big misunderstanding. Samantha is a great kid. You'll see. We'll get to the bottom of it."

"I hope so. Samantha's negative attitude is becoming disruptive to the entire afternoon class."

"I'll see you tomorrow night, then. Oh, and Ms. Matthews," he said with a smile as he pushed the button to open the gate, "perhaps it would be better if you rang the buzzer when you arrive for dinner tomorrow. I wouldn't want you to fall from the top of the gate next time and miss the appetizer."

He laughed at the hot glare she sliced at him. As he watched her march back through the gates and climb into her purple car, he was aware of the unwilling attraction settling low in his gut.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank for the very lovely comments :) much appreciated.**

 **I posted a new story but keep in mind that this has a Mature Rating.**

Enjoy reading!

 _ **x x x**_

 **Chapter 3**

He was charmed by her, Lucas thought as he watched Samantha's teacher drive away. He had to admire any woman passionate enough about her job to climb a fence, just to get her point across. Not to mention those delectable lips…

Nothing could come of it. He knew that. Miss Riley Matthews had _commitment_ written all over her cute little face and he had a terrible track record in that department.

He had decided after Samantha came into his life that he just had to close the door on anything long–term. He had been burned too many times. He picked the wrong kind of women to tangle with and then ended up paying for it.

Samantha's mother had been the final straw. Missy Bradford had been an aspiring actress he met at a party and dated a few times, unaware that underneath her fun, sexy act was a predatory woman who thought trapping him by becoming pregnant with his child would seal her celebrity status. Missy's pregnancy and her increasingly strident demands on him had been Lucas' wake–up call that his life was not traveling a course he wanted. He had fathered a child with a woman he barely knew and one he had come to despise, and the grim reality of it all forced him to take a good, hard look at himself.

He hadn't been very crazy about what he saw. He was just like Missy, he had realized. He had become selfish, materialistic, shallow. He went after what he wanted at the moment without thought of the consequences, and he knew he couldn't continue on that road.

He wanted to go back to his quiet southern town and settle in, told Missy he was retiring from basketball once his contract comes to an end and offered a financial settlement and annuity in return for her signing over parental rights to Samantha to him. Though she had been crazy mad at him for walking away, she certainly hadn't wanted to be burdened with a baby. She agreed instantly and never once ask to see Samantha after.

It was an ugly story, one that still made him ashamed of the man he had been six years ago.

He had changed. Samantha had seen to that, but he still didn't trust his own judgment about women. Missy had just been the last in a long line of mistakes, and with a child's fragile emotions to consider, he couldn't afford the high price, anymore.

He avoided the spotlight now as much as he could but to his jaded eye, it seemed like every woman he met since Missy was mostly interested in him for his ex–celebrity status, enthralled, for some crazy reason, to be seen with a man who had once been moderately famous.

It turned his stomach. He wanted them to see beyond the image that had appeared on far too much NBA–related merchandise. To see the man whose favorite things now were mowing the lawn on a warm summer afternoon, playing outside in the sunshine with his daughter, training a good horse.

He didn't trust many women and he certainly didn't trust his own judgment. This way was better. Just him and Samantha and Pappy Joe. They made a good team and there just wasn't room for any more players.

Not even cute–as–pie schoolteachers with dimples and brown eyes and curls.

 **x x x**

" _All a big misunderstanding._ Right. Can you believe that man? Does he think I don't know what's going on in my own classroom?"

"The nerve!" Maya Hart exclaimed. "He should be horsewhipped," Maya added.

Riley knew even though she cannot see Maya that her best friend is grinning at her at the moment. Times like this she wishes that she's still in New York and that her friend slash sister is with her so she can threaten her with the wok she was setting up on the stovetop.

She should be grateful they were still very close even though she's thousand miles away, she told herself. She decided to call Maya earlier than their agreed time so she wouldn't be consumed with guilt for lying to Lucas Friar.

She hadn't wanted to tell him the truth — that she had no plans other than lesson prep work — but she also hadn't been ready to turn around and drive back home, not without a little more time to psych herself up to facing him again. As salve to her conscience, she stopped by Walmart and did her grocery shopping and called Maya while making Chinese food and venting about the man himself.

"You should have seen the way he looked at me, like I was some deranged fan come to steal his boxers or something. Good grief."

"Well, you did climb over his gate," Maya pointed out. "You can't blame the man for being a little suspicious about you."

"If I were going to become a stalker, why would I pick a recluse of a basketball player?"

"Because he's a big hot bundle of yum?" Maya suggested.

Riley made a face. "Yum factor aside, he's still a hermit. He walked away at the top of his game. I bet right this minute he could still step into any court he wanted and find himself back on the A–list. He just doesn't want to be there."

"I bet you were drooling. C'mon Riles, you were his biggest fan! He freaking played for the Knicks and helped them win two championships _,_ " Maya said.

Riley didn't want to admit that she did obsessed about the man. Well, before, when he was still playing for her beloved Knicks.

"How many times did we go to Madison Square Garden just to see if we can spot him?" Maya laughed. "At least a dozen. Remember how you used to have that picture of him in your locker with his shirt half ripped off and his sexy black Stetson and that hard look in his eyes?"

Riley snickered as she twisted another egg roll.

"If there was ever an obsessed stalker fan back then, it would have been you, Riles. I seem to remember you writing _Mrs. Lucas Friar_ on everything from your algebra homework to the napkins at Topanga's."

"Will you just forget about that? For heaven's sake! It was more than eight years ago. Farkle's already given me a hard time about my stupid crush."

She loved her friends dearly. They had been friends since _they_ were all in grade school and she found great comfort in that kind of continuity. She just sometimes wished they didn't know every single detail about her life. "You're supposed to be sympathetic here. I was a silly teenager. What did I know about what to look for in a man? All I cared about then were dreamy eyes and six–pack abs."

"Two things Lucas Friar still has," Maya pointed out. "I saw a picture of him on a tabloid a couple of weeks ago and I just about drooled all over my shoes."

"Dreamy eyes are fine but not when they come as a package deal with a man willing to abdicate his responsibility to his child."

"That's unfair," Maya spoke up. "He invited you to come back and talk to Samantha about her behavior, didn't he? I wonder if you would be so mad at him right now if you hadn't had such a crush on him back in the day. Maybe you built him up in Rileytown for so long that finding out the real man is just a struggling father with the same problems as the rest of us has left you heartbroken and disillusioned."

She had to admit, there might be some truth in what Maya was saying. She had this image in her head of him as the hard–driving, hard–living athlete he played so well. It was a little hard to reconcile that with the father of her biggest behavior problem.

She sighed. She was _not_ looking forward to dinner the next night. How did a girl dress to have dinner with her former crush?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

By the next evening as he was prepping the steaks for dinner, Lucas still didn't have a clue what was going on with Samantha and school.

He had tried to talk to his daughter about it a dozen times, but she had been acting strangely ever since she found out Miss Matthews was coming to dinner. She was popping out of her skin with an odd kind of excitement and every time he tried to bring up school, she made some excuse to escape.

He hadn't pushed it, though he knew he should. He didn't really have a good handle on the extent of the problem, and he thought maybe it would be better if he waited until the teacher was there.

Pappy Joe hadn't been much help, either. When he talked to him the night before, he found his grandfather was firmly of the opinion that Samantha was only misbehaving as a coping mechanism to adjust to school. She wasn't used to being around other children all the time, everything was new and she had the added complication of being the daughter of the town's only celebrity, which automatically set her apart, Pappy Joe thought.

He had talked to Samantha several times and the girl had promised she would do better. Joe wanted to give her a little more time to adjust and he hadn't wanted to bother Lucas with it, especially as they had agreed he would be the liaison with the school.

He had nothing but praise for the teacher, though. Lucas had had just about enough of hearing about all of Riley Matthews' wonderful qualities.

He sighed. He already had enough trouble with the females in his life. Why did he even think for a moment he needed to add more? Still, he hadn't been able to get the teacher out of his mind. He had dreamed of her last night and had awoken aroused and embarrassed and with an intense hunger for cream puffs.

He jerked his mind away from those unruly images. "Samantha, you need to set the table," he called. "Your teacher will be here any minute now."

"Coming, Daddy," she called from the other room and a moment later she flounced into the room. _Flounce_ was exactly the word for it — she was wearing the ruffly girly dress she and Joe had bought the day before. She was all taffeta and lace, with mismatched ankle socks and her favorite sparkly sneakers.

He hid a smile. "Honey, you can't wear that. You'll ruin the pretty dress you and Pappy Joe bought to wear to Uncle Zay's wedding next month."

"I want Miss Riley to see it. She'll like the way it twirls. See, Daddy?" She spun in a circle, eyes wide with delight, and a lump rose in his throat. He loved this crazy, funny little thing so much it was a physical ache in his chest sometimes.

"You're having a hotdog, though, and you know how messy those can be. You wouldn't want to spill mustard on your dress, would you?"

Her brow furrowed as she considered and he pushed his advantage while he had it. "Set the table out on the deck and then go up and change into something else. After dinner maybe you can change into your new dress to show Miss Matthews."

He knew before too much longer, he wouldn't be able to convince her of anything so easily, but for now his logic could still sway her.

"Okay." She ran to the cupboard for the plates then stopped and gave him a considering look. "You should wear your blue shirt, Daddy. The one that's soft and silky. Pappy Joe said you turn all the ladies to mush when you wear it."

Before he could ask why she might want him to turn her kindergarten teacher to mush — a task he doubted he had the ability to perform, much as he and his libidinous dreams might like to — she rushed outside with an armload of plates and silverware.

She had just returned for glasses when the buzzer on the front gates rang. Samantha shrieked with excitement. "She's here! She's here! She's really here!"

Samantha raced to the intercom and control console for the electronic gates. "Miss Riley! Miss Riley! Hi, Miss Riley! I'm going to push the button and open the gate, okay? Okay?"

There was a slight pause then Riley's voice filled the kitchen and even through the intercom he could hear the amusement in it. "Thank you very much, Samantha."

She pushed the button then jumped away from the console. "You let her in while I go change, Daddy. I'll be right back."

He started to call her back — since she was already in the dress, she might as well show it off now instead of later — but she was gone, heading up the stairs at a full–out run.

The doorbell rang and Lucas was startled at the way his pulse kicked up against his will.

He walked out to the entryway and opened the door then forgot to even say hello. She looked sweet and lovely and delicious enough to gobble up in one bite. He was so busy trying to convince himself he wasn't hungry that he almost missed the wary look in her eyes.

"Hi. I'm early. I'm sorry."

He was a little rusty as a host but he tried to do his best. "Not at all. Come in. Samantha's gone to change her clothes and I'm not sure where my grandfather has vanished to. I'm sure he'll be along soon."

She held out something in a white box wrapped in string. "I brought dessert. I didn't know what you were serving so I didn't know what kind of wine would be appropriate. And, anyway, I thought Samantha might enjoy something sweet more."

"What is it?"

"Raspberry ribbon cheesecake. It's my mom's recipe."

"Samantha will love it. I'll just put it in the refrigerator. Why don't you come outside with me while I put the steaks on?"

"You're cooking?"

He had to smile at the utter disbelief in her voice. "I'm grilling. There's a world of difference between the two. Throwing a couple steaks on the grill doesn't exactly take much except a good spice rub recipe and a meat thermometer."

She still looked flabbergasted as he gestured her ahead of him into the kitchen. She walked past him and again the tantalizing scents of vanilla and strawberries — with a hint of raspberry now — teased him.

He closed his eyes, stunned by the overwhelming urge to lean forward and bury his face in her curls and just inhale.

It had been far too long since he had been with a woman. Months. That must be the reason for this sudden fascination with this soft schoolteacher.

One of the downsides of being a responsible single father was the serious crimp it put in any casual encounters. It never seemed right to bring women home for the night with Samantha in the house and lately he had been taking her along on the few trips he took out of town.

He had entertained some vague idea about calling Sarah Miles when he went to Denver on the horse–buying trip next week to see if she might be interested in flying out to meet him, as she had done a few times before. Sarah was a producer he had known in New York. She was sharp, beautiful and sexy as silk sheets.

Oddly, the idea suddenly didn't appeal to him at all. He didn't have to look far to figure out why.

"This is lovely," Riley exclaimed when they moved out onto the wide deck overlooking the western slope of the Tetons.

With delight evident on her delicate features, she took in the twinkling lights in the trees shading the deck, the swimming pool with its waterfalls and spa and the outdoor fireplace where a merry blaze took out the slight chill of the September air.

Beyond the backyard, horses grazed near the whitewashed barn, and in the evening everything looked peaceful and still.

"We live out here when the weather is nice," he admitted. "And even sometimes when it's not. With the fireplace, we can enjoy it from March to early December sometimes, until the snow gets too deep on the deck."

"She must adore it out here! My word, look at that play set. I think it's more elaborate than the playground equipment we have at school."

He smiled at her enthusiasm. "We'll have to have your class out for a party in the springtime when it's warm enough to swim again. Samantha would love it."

Her eyes glowed at the idea and she smiled, the first genuine, heartfelt smile she had ever given him.

He couldn't seem to look away from it, at the curve of her lips, at the way the left side lifted just a little higher than the right, at the dimples he suddenly hungered to taste.

The heated dreams of the night before suddenly rocketed through his brain and in his mind he was once more tangled in all that softness, touching his mouth to hers, tasting that sweetly curved mouth.

He heard a ragged–sounding breath and managed to drag his attention from her mouth — and from his own feverish imagination — to meet her gaze. Her pupils were wide, her color high, and thick, heady awareness suddenly bloomed between them.

He needed to kiss her. He didn't want to, he knew he shouldn't, but he had to know if she tasted as delicious as he had imagined. He couldn't seem to stop himself from leaning forward.

An instant before he reached her, he heard the bang of the screen door and jerked back just as Samantha raced out of the house.

"Here I am! I changed and everything. Hi, Miss Riley!" She hugged her teacher's legs and Riley looked dazed — whether from Samantha's affection or their almost–kiss, he couldn't guess.

"Do you want to come see my bedroom? It's pink and green and my bed is in a real playhouse!"

She cast a furtive look at him, her color high. "I…of course," she murmured, looking relieved at any excuse to escape.

"The steaks won't take long," he said, calling on all his long–neglected acting skills to keep any trace of embarrassment from his voice.

She nodded and walked out with Samantha's hand tucked in hers, leaving him alone in the starlight to wonder what the hell had just happened.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello peeps. Thank you so much for the lovely comments.**

 **Guest: to answer your question Lucas is 27 and Riley is 25.**

 **Just to keep you updated I also posted a chapter for A Knight for the Night and I have 2 stories that are already completed titled: My Boys and Let Me In...debating when I should post them ;p**

 _xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 **Chapter 5**

Lucas Friar had nearly kissed her. At least that's what she think he was about to do. If his daughter hadn't come bursting out onto the deck, Riley had no doubt that with a half–second more alone with him, she would have been in his arms.

She followed Samantha up a sweeping staircase constructed of hewn half–logs, painfully aware of the way her knees trembled and her stomach still felt jittery and weak.

Lucas Friar. Almost. Kissed. Her.

He had wanted to, anyway. She had seen the sudden heat in those heartbreaking eyes of his, the slight parting of his lips, and hadn't been able to stop her body's instinctive sway toward him.

What a jerk, she thought, but the familiar imprecation held no heat whatsoever. She had wanted him to kiss her. Another minute or two and she probably would have _begged_ him to.

They reached Samantha's bedroom and she could only stare. "Wow. This is your room?"

"Yep. It's cool, huh?"

"Very cool." It was a dream of a room for a little girl. Everything was pink and flowery and Samantha had told the truth — her bed was built into a massive playhouse built into the center of the large room. It was like a room inside of a room, with a door and windows and a gabled roof that touched the ceiling.

"Daddy and me built the playhouse. I helped hammer the nails and measure the wood and everything."

"Oh?" It was very hard to dislike a man who could create such a wonderland for his child.

"Yep. My daddy makes really good things. Pappy Joey says he has always been good with his hands. He said when he was a kid, he was always making stuff from junk wood he found around. And he's strong, too. When we builded my bed, he carried all the wood in by himself."

Samantha frowned for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration, then it cleared and she smiled. "Oh, and he makes up funny stories. My favorite is about the ugly hedgehog. Daddy does all kinds of voices when he tells stories and he always makes me laugh. You should hear him."

"Oh?" She tried to pretend disinterest, but in truth she was fascinated to hear about Lucas' interactions with his daughter.

"Yeah, and he can swim superfast! You should see him. And he rides horses better than anybody else in the whole wide world. I have my own horse, but my favorite is when I ride with my daddy."

Why did Samantha suddenly remind her of a used car salesman trying to unload a junker? Riley wondered uneasily. She really shouldn't be listening to all these things about Lucas. It made him seem too real, entirely too likable.

Still, she forced herself to smile. "It sounds like you have a lot of fun with your dad."

"We're best buds. Me and Daddy and Pappy Joe are a team. Daddy says so. I love him a ton."

She suddenly gave Riley a funny sidelong look she couldn't quite interpret. "Except I think maybe he's lonely."

Lucas Friar lonely?

She couldn't even imagine it. Still, the conviction in the girl's voice set off warning bells. "Samantha, is that why you've been misbehaving in class? Because you think if you're naughty enough in school and don't do your work, you'll be sent home where you can be with your father?"

Samantha's big green eyes opened wide and she looked so genuinely startled at the suggestion that Riley knew she must be completely off the mark.

The little girl giggled. "No! That's not why. You're silly."

Oh, she certainly was, especially if she thought a gorgeous, compelling man like Lucas Friar could ever be interested in a boring, naive schoolteacher like her.

"Will you tell me the reason?" she pressed. "I don't think you really hate school, even though you pretend you do."

"I don't hate it," she whispered. She looked down at the thick carpet of her room, digging the toe of her sneakers into the floral pattern.

Riley paused, totally at sea to figure out what all this was about. "Is it me you don't like? Perhaps we could switch you to the other kindergarten teacher's class."

"Noooo!" Samantha looked horrified by the very idea. "I don't want another teacher. I _have_ to be in your class. Please, Miss Riley. Please don't make me go to another class!"

She was trying to process that impassioned plea when she heard footsteps in the hallway and a moment later, Lucas stuck his head in.

He looked incongruous in the girly room, dark and gorgeous and über–masculine and her heart gave a foolish little thump just at the sight of him.

Samantha jumped into his arms. "Hi, Daddy. I've been telling Miss Riley about all the fun things we do and how you're such a good swimmer and a good horse rider. I bet she'd like to see you sometime."

He raised an eyebrow and Riley refrained from commenting that she had seen his particular riding style when he had nearly mowed her over the day before.

"Oh, and Miss Riley thinks the playhouse you made for me is cool," Samantha added.

He managed a smile. "Good to know. Uh, dinner is ready. I just checked on Pappy Joe and he said he's feeling a little under the weather tonight so it's just the three of us, I guess. I hope you're hungry."

"I'm _starving!_ " Samantha said with so much emotion in her voice, Riley had to assume she had inherited more from her father than emerald eyes and dark blonde hair.

The little girl skipped ahead down the stairs, leaving the two of them alone.

She was intensely aware of Lucas as they walked down the stairs. They didn't say anything, but the thick awareness flowed between them, leaving her jittery and unsettled as they walked out into the moonlit night.

Dinner would live on forever in her memory as one of the most surreal experiences of Riley's life. She was having dinner with Lucas Friar — and not just any dinner, but one he prepared with his own hands. The seventeen–year–old girl who — she was ashamed to say — still sometimes popped up in her psyche, wanted to swoon.

She found the whole experience disorienting. It was extraordinarily difficult to reconcile her different images of him — sexy, intense Knick's basketball hero, then disinterested father — with the man who cut his daughter's hot dog and did really lousy impersonations.

Somehow they managed to put aside their discomfort over that awkward scene before dinner as they talked and laughed and listened to Samantha's apparently endless repertoire of bad knock–knock jokes.

She was charmed by both of them. This Samantha was a far different girl at home than she had been the last three weeks. Here was the girl she had met those first few days at school and Riley wanted to know why she had disappeared.

And Lucas. Every once in a while she would find him watching her with a baffled kind of heat in his eyes and her insides would flutter and sigh.

She was doing her best to ignore it, but she had never been so fiercely aware of a man.

Her heart was in serious danger here. She realized it sometime before they finished eating and he brought out her cheesecake. The man across the table was exactly the kind she dreamed of now, and that scared the heck out of her.

"I'm all done eating," Samantha said after she had all but licked her dessert plate clean. "Can I go change into my party dress to show Miss Riley, Daddy? Can I?"

He looked reluctant but he nodded. "Go ahead. Hurry, though."

Without the buffer of Samantha and her chatter, Riley's awareness of him became almost unbearable. She couldn't shake the disbelief that she was actually sitting on a starlit deck with Lucas Friar, a man she was finding increasingly attractive.

Without thinking, needing only to move suddenly, she stood up and started to clear away the dinner dishes.

"You don't have to do that," he said. "We usually don't make our guests clean up."

She felt her face heat. "Habit. Sorry. In my family, we all had to pitch in to help. I don't mind, though. Really I don't. This way you don't have to clear them yourself later."

He rose and started helping her, and they worked in a silence that would have been companionable except for the vibes zinging between them like the kids on the zipline at the school playground.

"The sheriff is really in your speed dial?" he asked after a moment.

She nodded. "One of his grandchild is in my class and I'm part of the Women's group that is being headed by his wife Lorraine."

"I've met him a few times. He's a good man. Does that mean you grew up around here?"

She searched his rugged features for any clue that he might be patronizing her, but all she saw was genuine interest. "No. I moved here 5 months ago. I'm from New York."

"You're a long way from home." He gave an almost bittersweet smile. "You must miss your family."

She blinked. "I do miss them but I talk to them pretty much every day. I've never been away from them and I wanted to see if I have it in me to be completely independent."

"Ah, so you 're a rebel?"

"Me? I'm a boring kindergarten teacher. I've never done anything exciting in my life." _Before tonight, anyway,_ she corrected to herself.

"Climbing over my gates doesn't count?"

She smiled. "Well, there was that. And the time I stayed up past 10:00 pm."

His laugh did funny things to her insides. "You seem close to your family," he said. "It must be wonderful."

"You aren't? Close to your family, I mean?"

He was quiet for a long moment, leaning against the railing of the deck with the stars spilling across the sky behind him. "No. Well aside from Pappy Joe that is. I grew up living out of suitcases and hotels. My dad was a general manager for a professional baseball team and we travel a lot. When I was twelve, I begged my dad to let me stay here with Pappy Joe and we only see each other once a year or so."

She heard the old pain in his voice and her heart ached with sympathy.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, leaning against the railing beside him. "But I'm glad you had Pappy Joe. I've taught children with no one at all to call their own."

"You're right. I was lucky, though I didn't think so at the time. Pappy Joe tried. But by age twelve I had been basically on my own for a long time and didn't want much help from him. I equated caring with smothering. I took off when I was seventeen and headed for New York. I worked odd jobs for a while and was playing ball with a friend when a scout spotted me and asked me to join their training and before I knew it, I was playing for the Knicks."

She remembered the bones of his story from those early days when she used to scour _Sports Illustrated_ looking for information about him, in the days before the Internet would have put all those details at her fingertips. But, of course, she couldn't tell him that.

"What about you?" he asked. "What led you to teaching?"

"It's all I've ever wanted to do. I love children. I always have." She smiled. "I was the world's best babysitter because I could have done it all day for free just for the fun of it and everyone knew it. There is something so magical about early childhood, the innocence and the wonder and the sheer delight of it. I love watching them grow and start to test life. Setting them on a path to discover the world of possibilities waiting for them."

Her voice trailed off and she flushed. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling again."

"Not at all. I could listen to you all night."

Her gaze flashed to his and the heat in the midnight depths sent those nerves twirling through her insides again. She swallowed hard and had time only to wonder if this could possibly be real, when his mouth captured hers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Riley froze, the breath caught in her throat and her pulse thundered in her ears.

Oh. Oh my. His kiss was unbearably soft, almost tender, and she leaned into it, into him. Her hands rested on the hard muscles of his chest and she could feel the jump of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. His arms slid around her, pulling her close, and she surrendered to the magic and wonder of his kiss.

She could definitely fall hard for this man.

His kiss suddenly deepened, his tongue licking at the corner of her mouth, and she lost any chance at coherent thought for several long, drugging moments.

"Okay, get ready!" she suddenly heard Samantha call from inside the house and the two of them sprang apart, both breathing hard, just as the girl burst through the door in all her finery.

What in the hell was he doing?

He invites the woman to dinner to talk about his daughter's problems in school then ends up dumping his life story on her before all but jumping her on his back deck.

The crazy thing was, he wanted to do it all over again. The kissing part, anyway. Lucas could still taste her on his lips, that subtle, sweetly erotic taste of raspberry and cream and Riley.

It was crazy. He knew it was impossible, but he ached to taste her again.

Focus, he chided himself and jerked his attention back to the conversation between Samantha and her teacher.

"See how twirly it is?" Samantha exclaimed, her arms wide as she did circles around the living room, where they had adjourned since there was more light to show off the sparkles.

Lucas wasn't sure he was prepared for this primpy stage to start. Samantha was showing all the signs of someone who would be seriously girly and he had no idea how to handle the rest of it. Just thinking about makeup and boyfriends and hairspray made him break into a cold sweat.

At least he had a few more years before he had to worry about that.

"You look just like a princess," Riley assured Samantha. Her color was high, he saw, and she didn't look at him as she spoke.

Samantha preened, oblivious to the tension between them. "I'm going to wear it to a wedding. My friend Alicia's dad is getting married next month and we're going to Hawaii for it and I get to swim in the ocean and maybe see a dolphin."

She had been delirious with excitement about the whole thing, from the moment Zay Babineaux invited them along. Zay was his team mate and one of the few people he stayed in touch with.

"I don't get to be the flower girl because Alicia does," Samantha went on, "but I can wear my new dress and maybe have a lei, too."

Riley gave a smile that looked forced and he would have given just about anything to know what was running through her head right about now. "How fun," she murmured. "You and your father will have to take lots of pictures so you can bring them back for the rest of the class to see."

"Okay. I will." She looked thrilled at the idea for just a moment before she frowned and her excitement slipped away. "Um, I'll have to see. I'll probably forget."

Right. Samantha remembered the names and birthdays and favorite colors of everyone she had ever met. This sudden reluctance was part of whatever game she had been playing at school. He sighed, knowing the time for socializing was over.

"Sammy, if you're done showing off your new dress, we need to talk about what's happening in school. You know that's why Miss Riley is here."

Panic flared in her eyes, suddenly, and she started edging for the stairs. "I better go change out of my dress before I get it all dirty."

"Come back here," he said, his voice stern. "We're going to sit down right now and discuss how you've been acting."

"Do I have to?" Samantha asked, looking suddenly miserable.

"Yeah, you do, shortcake."

"You'll be mad."

"Probably. But we still have to talk about it."

She perched on the edge of a leather ottoman, her hands tightly folded on her lap. He sighed, not sure where to start.

"I thought you loved school," he finally said. "You talk about it all the time. But Miss Riley says you're not doing your work and you're not participating in class. What's going on?"

"I was just pretending I didn't like school," she said, her voice small. She lifted her gaze to give her teacher a look of earnest entreaty. "I really do, Miss Riley. I promise. I love playtime and I love circle time and I love snack time. My favorite is story time. I love, love, _love_ story time."

Riley gazed at her, her lovely features baffled. "Why would you want to pretend you don't like it? It's wonderful to love learning!"

Samantha's chin wobbled. "It was Alicia's idea. She's my friend in California. She said if I was bad in class, my dad would have to come to school for a conference. And then he would fall in love with you and you would get married like Alicia's dad is getting married and then you could be my new mom."

Okay. This was just about the most horrifying moment of his life. A dead silence greeted Samantha's stunning declaration and Lucas couldn't think what to do, what to say. He risked a look at Riley and saw her features had leached of all color. Not a good sign.

He knew he had to step into the terrible silence. "Sammy…" he began, then faltered as he found himself at a loss for words. "People don't, uh, fall in love like that," he said after a moment. "You can't manipulate them into doing what you want just because you want it. Life doesn't work that way."

Sometimes it did, though. He had to be crazy, but he suddenly knew he was in serious danger of falling for this soft, sweet woman who loved children and smelled like a dream.

"But Miss Riley already loves you, Daddy. You just have to fall in love with her."

"What?!" Riley exclaimed. To his somewhat thunderstruck fascination, all the color soaked back into her cheeks in a hot, relentless tide.

Samantha fidgeted, looking almost as miserable as Riley. "I heard Miss Riley in the school office talking about you a few days after school started. I had a stomachache and went to lay down in the sick kid place, and I heard the lady on the phone ask if Miss Riley had met Daddy yet and she said no and the lady asked if she would mention at parent–teacher conference that she had your picture in her locker in school and that she used to write Mrs. Lucas Friar on things."

He heard a soft sound of distress coming from somewhere in Riley's vicinity, but he didn't dare look at her.

"So then I thought how nice you are," Samantha went on, "and how I wanted you to be my mom but I didn't know what to do. I told Alicia when we went to visit them and she thought I should be bad in school. It was really hard and I didn't want to. But I wanted you to be my mommy really bad, so I did it, anyway. I'm sorry."

After she finished, there was a long, terrible silence and all Lucas could focus on was how much he would have preferred it if Riley hadn't known who he was back then. He had a wild, sudden wish that she had only met him the day before.

He wanted her to only know the man he was today, not some image on a screen that had never been real. His chest ached suddenly and he had to fight the urge to rub his hand against it.

Finally, he managed to speak. "That was very wrong of you, Samantha. I'm disappointed that you would be so deceitful. You've wasted three weeks of the school year for nothing and now you're going to be behind all the others in your class."

"I'm sorry. Daddy."

"I don't think I'm the one you need to apologize to."

Her chin quivered but she rose and stood in front of Riley, who looked close to tears herself. "I'm sorry, Miss Riley. I do like you and I can be good. I promise."

Riley cleared her throat, still not looking at him. "Does this mean you're going to do better from now on? No more of these…these crazy ideas?"

"I promise. You'll see. I'll be the best kid in the whole class! I'll do all my work on time and I'll raise my hand and everything."

"Good. I'm, uh, certainly glad to hear that." She rose abruptly. "I…now that we've cleared that up, I should go."

"You don't have to," Lucas said.

"Yes. I do."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

He couldn't argue with the vehemence in her voice, and in truth he knew he would be relieved when she was gone. She still didn't look at him once as he and a now–dejected Samantha walked her to her impractical little car.

"Samantha, I'll see you Monday in school," she said, with what sounded like false brightness in her voice. "Thank you again for dinner."

She climbed into her car, started it and took off down the driveway. He hit the buzzer to open the gates just as she reached them, wondering if it could possibly be only a day since he had found her climbing over them.

As her taillights headed down, he held Samantha's hand and watched them disappear.

How insane. She only blew into his life the day before, but he knew as he watched her drive away that she had left footprints on his heart. He would miss her laughter and her softness and her sweet, infectious smile.

He had to let her go. He had no choice. Anything between them was impossible. Even before he found out she had once been a fan of his, he knew he could never do anything about this terrifying tenderness growing inside him.

That didn't make the regret any less bitter.

She was going to die — just pull her Mini over somewhere along the road, curl up in the front seat and wither away from absolute mortification.

 _But Miss Riley already loves you, Daddy. You just have to fall in love with her._

Oh, this was the most awful moment of Riley's life. It was bad enough that he should find out from his _daughter_ about the crush she used to have on him. It was far worse that she had to be sitting three feet away from him when he did!

She forced herself to concentrate on the driving until she had reached the town limits and her own little white clapboard house. Once home, she pulled into her driveway and buried her face in her hands. She felt miserable. Completely wretched. All she could think about was the soft, seductive heat of their kiss and the way she wanted to lean into him and let him hold her forever.

Tears burned behind her eyes. She used to have a crush on a one–dimensional image on the screen, gorgeous and strong. But she was very much afraid she had lost her heart to the man behind that image. Even through her absolute horror as she had listened to Samantha's scheme, as the girl had talked about how much she wanted a mommy — how much she had wanted _Riley_ for a mommy — she had wanted it, too.

She still did. She ached with it, with the possibilities he had stirred up inside her by the tender heat of that kiss. She indulged in those possibilities — okay, those _im_ possibilities — for only a moment then she dropped her hands and squared her shoulders.

It was over. She had shared one wonderful starlit night with him and with Samantha and that was all she would ever have. She just needed to put the whole humiliating experience behind her, forget about her teenage crush and the wonderful man she had found in real life, and figure out how to move on. After she talk to Maya.

"She did not say that in front of him." Maya squealed in laughter.

"She did," Riley admitted with a rueful smile.

Maya howled. "What did Lucas say?" Maya wiped tears from the corners of her eyes with the pads of her fingers.

"Not much." Riley felt a flush creep up her neck. "What can the man say? I don't think he knew how to respond. He'd never want to humiliate me." Riley had given this matter a lot of thought. "I think he was embarrassed."

Maya cleared her throat. "Why embarrassed?"

"I came over for dinner to discuss about his daughter and he learned that I have a huge crush on him." Riley shuddered. "Who does that?"

Maya straightened and leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees, her eyes intense and very blue. "First, you went there to _discuss_ about Samantha. Second, you having a crush on him was a long time ago. It was a long time ago right? I mean, it's not like you still like the guy, do you?"

Riley felt the heat crawl up her neck.

"Oh boy! Riley, what aren't you telling me?"

"Uhmm, we kinda, sorta kiss. Could this get any more complicated?" She expelled a heavy sigh and answered her own question. "Why yes, Riley it could."

Maya's lips twitched. "I'm giving up television. Now that I have you and Lucas to keep me entertained."

"Glad I could be of help," Riley said drily.

"Peaches, tell me why do you think it's complicated? It was just a kiss. Maybe it was just a friendly kiss."

"It's time I start looking for a boyfriend," Riley said, surprised Maya couldn't figure out something so simple.

"I see –".

"Maya, do you mind…"

"You're the one that's making this complicated. He likes you. You like him. You two should be dating."

A sad smile tipped the corners of Riley's lips. If only it could be that simple. "I'm Samantha's teacher."

"So? The kid loves you. Heck, she wants you to be her mommy."

Anger spurted in Riley's veins. Now, she knew Maya was being deliberately obtuse. And she didn't appreciate it at all. Didn't her friend realize this whole situation was breaking Riley's heart?

"Can you please take this conversation seriously?" Riley spoke more harshly than she intended. "After tonight, I don't know if I can show my face around him again. I'm just glad that he's a recluse and doesn't come to the school. I am _never ever_ talking on speaker again!"

"I'm sorry Riles. It was my fault. I shouldn't have said that. I was just teasing you. I didn't realize that a munchkin was listening. The brat."

A tear slipped down Riley's cheek but whether it was for Samantha or her own current predicament, she couldn't say. She hurriedly brushed it away.

"You like Lucas. And by the sound of it, seems he likes you too. Give it a chance," Maya urged. "What do you have to lose?"

"My dignity," Riley said in a strangled tone. "It would kill me if I thought each time Lucas looked at me, he was thinking if I like him for who he is now or I was still crushing on Lucas Friar, Knick's Number #15."

"Why don't you ask him how he feels?" At Riley's incredulous look, Maya laughed. "You're right. Bad idea."

The two women sat staring at the computer screen in silence for several seconds. "If you want my advice, I say don't cut the game short. Play all four quarters and see where you stand at the end."

"Maya, this is real life not a basketball game. He could break my heart."

"If you walk away now, you'll never know if you two could have made it all the way." Maya met Riley's gaze. "Regrets don't usually arise from what we've done, but from what we didn't do."

"That's deep peaches."

Maya raised her eye brow questioningly.

"Okay. I'll go for it." Riley steeled her resolve. "I'll try to stay in the game for all four quarters. But pray I don't get thrown for a loss in the last minute."


	8. Chapter 8

**I am very-very happy that you guys are enjoying the story. For those of you who made time to leave their comments...MHUA!**

xXxXxXxXx

 **Chapter 8**

The weather turned cold and grim the next day as an icy rain blew down. It matched her mood perfectly, but did nothing to help lift her spirits.

As promised, Monday saw a dramatic turnaround in the Samantha Problem. The girl reverted to the sweet, sunny child she had been the first few days of school. No more belligerence or defiance. She handed in perfect assignments, she answered more questions than anyone else in class, she sat as still as a five–year–old could possibly manage during circle time.

The only black mark Riley could have put in the Samantha column was that the girl apparently hadn't given up her ridiculous matchmaking. Every day at recess, she would hover around Riley, filling her ears with stories about her father that only made Riley fall deeper for him. She tried her best to discourage her, but Samantha wouldn't be deterred.

She could only wonder what kinds of stories about _her_ Samantha was carrying back to Lucas.

She had to admit, she was always glad to see the last of the girl when her Pappy Joe arrived to pick her up every afternoon in a sleek Range Rover.

On Friday, though, Samantha was the last child waiting at pick–up and Pappy Joe and his Range Rover were nowhere in sight. The cold, relentless rain dropped in sheets and even under the awning in front of the elementary school, it was miserable.

"Let's go inside and wait," she said to Samantha. "We can go back to the classroom and call Pappy Joe to find out what's going on."

To her dismay, Samantha looked thrilled for a little more time in her company and Riley sighed. She was growing to care far too much about the little girl, too. She set Samantha up with crayons and paper and looked through her files for Samantha's contact information so she could dial Joe's cell number. She had just found the right paper and pulled it out when she heard a noise by the door and Samantha shrieked with delight.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Riley jerked her gaze up, just in time to see Lucas standing in the doorway, looking strong and masculine and wonderful, before Samantha rushed to him and threw her arms around his waist.

"I missed you so much, Daddy. Did you buy a new horse on your trip?"

"A couple of them." He hugged his daughter, but his gaze rested on Riley and she felt hot and cold at the same time.

"Are they pretty?" Samantha asked.

"Beautiful," he murmured, but his gaze never left her. A wild heat flared inside her and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. _Try,_ she ordered herself harshly. The last thing she needed right now was to hyperventilate and pass out at his feet. Then he would _really_ think she was an obsessed fan.

"I was really good for Miss Riley all week," Samantha told him. "Wasn't I, Miss Riley?"

She cleared her throat and tried to force her oxygen–starved brain to function again. "Uh, yes. You were wonderful."

"Oh!" Samantha said suddenly. "I forgot my leaf pictures. I left them in Mrs. Barnes's classroom in art class so they could dry, but I need to take them home and show Pappy Joe."

In a heartbeat, she rushed out the door, leaving the two of them alone.

Riley couldn't look at Lucas, but she was aware of him moving into the classroom and walking closer to her desk.

"How are you?" he asked.

She finally lifted her gaze at the quiet sincerity in his voice. "Still more embarrassed than I've ever been in my life," she admitted.

"You have no reason to be embarrassed. It was my daughter who tried to play matchmaker."

"Samantha would never have gotten the crazy idea in her head if I hadn't been talking about you with Maya." She sighed, knowing she had to confront this or she would never be able to look him in the eye again. "Maya has been my best friend since childhood. She knew all about my silly crush on you. Everyone in my family knew. I'm afraid I was a little obsessed. I was seventeen and you were, well, you. You were good and passionate and…and gorgeous."

Her face flared with color and she knew she had to be beet–red, but she cleared her throat and plowed on. "Maya thinks it's a hilarious twist of fate that I'm teaching your daughter, all these years later, and she's been teasing me about it since school started. That's what Samantha overheard, just two old friends remembering something that seems another lifetime ago."

He was quiet and she thought she saw something like pain flicker in his eyes. "You know I'm not that man, right? I hated being a celebrity. I never wanted it, everything just sort of fell into my lap. I was more surprised than anybody when I turned out to be moderately good at playing ball, and for a while it was heady and addicting and I got sucked into the whole thing. But for my own survival, I had to get out when I did and I've never been sorry."

"I know. I don't see that heartthrob basketball player, anymore, when I look at you, Lucas. Not after the other night."

He seemed to absorb that for a moment, then to her shock, he reached for her hand. "What do you see?" he asked, and the sudden intensity in his voice snatched away her breath again.

Riley's heart raced and she was certain Lucas must be able to hear the blood pulsing loudly in her ears. "I see a man who loves his daughter. Someone trying to do his best by her. I see someone funny and sweet who cooks a mean steak and does a lousy Sylvester Stallone impression. And I see someone who made me forget my own name when he kissed me," she added in a whisper.

His fingers tightened on hers. "I've spent six days thinking about that kiss, Riley. Thinking about you."

She blinked as his words soaked through her lingering discomfort. He had thought about it, too? About her, about the magic she thought she had only dreamed?

"Oh?" she managed.

"For years I've been telling myself I didn't need a woman in my life, that Samantha and I were doing just fine on our own. Suddenly, I'm not so sure."

"You're…not?"

He shook his head and pulled her to her feet. "I don't know how it happened, and I certainly wasn't looking for it. But when you climbed the gates of my ranch, somehow you climbed through the walls I've built around my heart."

As his arms slid around her, a heady kind of joy flooded through her like that rain outside, only this was sweet and cleansing. He kissed her, his mouth strong and warm, and she sighed a welcome.

This was real, she realized with shock. Real and right and worlds better than anything she could have imagined as a silly, giddy teenager.

She lost herself in the kiss, yanking off his Stetson and burying her hands in his thick hair as she poured all the emotions of her heart into her response. When he pulled away, they were both breathing hard. Through the delicious haze, she sensed movement in the doorway and they both turned to find Samantha standing there.

Her leaf pictures were scattered at her feet, her clasped hands were pressed to her heart and her wide eyes glittered with a thousand stars.

"It worked," she breathed. "It really worked!"

Lucas groaned. "I think we've created a monster."

Riley smiled, happier than she ever dreamed she could be. "That's all right. I'm a kindergarten teacher. Taming monsters is part of the job description."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

6 weeks, 3 days, 10 hours and 20 minutes, that's how long he'd been seeing Riley Matthews and it had been a wonderful time. To say that Samantha is happy is an understatement because his daughter is over the moon. Samantha had kept her promise to do well in school and stopped _acting up_ until of course it was time for them to attend Zay's wedding. Samantha wanted to bring Riley but the teacher declined. She didn't want to leave her other students. Lucas knew that it was more than that. Riley thinks it was too soon to join him and his family for a vacation.

Once they got back Lucas called to say that Pappy Joe were taking Samantha to see the latest children's 3D flick, it had freed them for this horse ride. It was fun sharing something he loved with Riley, who, despite her disclaimer, was keeping up with him.

Shortly before noon they reached the overlook. Resting the horses, he took the small bag from the saddle and handed it to Riley. Riley took out sandwiches, apples and chips. She bit into an apple. "This view is worth the trip."

"I never tire of it. Pappy Joe brought me here when I was little. I've always thought of it as _my_ place. With all the traveling I did before… " he paused, as if shaking off a bad memory "…I've never had a place I considered my own."

She covered his hand. "Thanks for bringing me here. For sharing."

He leaned over and kissed her gently.

In his arms, Riley felt peaceful. Lucas didn't need to fill the silence with talk; and somehow, despite her quirky ways, he made her feel desirable and perfect.

He moved closer and circled her with his arm. "Are you adventurous when it comes to love?" It was not an idle question.

"I used to think I didn't need that kind of adventure. But now I realize it was the one area where I let my fear control me. Until you." She cradled his face in her hands. "Until you," she whispered, kissing him with all the joy in her liberated heart. All the love. He'd mentioned the word and it felt right. So right.

They spent another half an hour quietly holding each other before they had to get back. Needing to be at home when Samantha returned, Lucas dropped her at her house after an early dinner.

Before taking a shower, Riley checked her messages, surprised to hear one from a college friend who moved in Colorado and now ran a prestigious outdoor leadership training school there.

"Hi, Riley. Guess what? You know how we've talked about getting you up here? I figured out a way to do it. One of my staff is moving to Australia, and you'd be the perfect replacement. You'll still have to apply and everything, but it would mostly just be a formality…."

The message went on, but all Riley could think was: her dream job! The goal she'd been working toward since she'd earned her college degree in education. More money. The opportunity to work with some of the best guides and youth leaders in the country. She should be turning cartwheels, igniting fireworks, calling everyone.

Instead, tears gathered in her eyes. She would be a fool to turn down such an offer. But it would mean leaving Lucas and Samantha.

The choice would be her dream job versus another dream—a life with Lucas.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sunday was a mild November day, warm enough to open windows and let a breeze freshen the house. Lucas listened as Samantha started in again about yesterday's movie. "You should've seen it, Dad. It was way cool. These aliens came right at me. I even ducked once, and—"

Lucas stifled a grin. "Maybe we can rent the video when it comes out, but for now, homework's at the top of the list."

"I finished it already. Miss Riley said we should do our homework as soon as we get home so we won't forget to do it and then we can spend time with our family."

"That's good Sammy. Want to show me what you did?" Lucas led his daughter to her bedroom. It turned out that the homework was to draw a picture of an animal. "This is really good princess. This is a nice picture of cat."

"Your silly daddy. That's not a cat. That's a dog."

"Of course it is. Since you're done with homework you can go and play and then we'll have dinner. Just need to do something first."

"Kay, daddy."

Lucas neglected his work since Riley had become part of his priority. Running a successful ranch means working long hours and becoming hands on. He needed to call suppliers and check bank statements. Yet when he sat down at the computer, all he could do was daydream about Riley and the great time he'd had yesterday.

Her infectious enthusiasm for life was a tonic, particularly after his hermitlike existence in the past few years. Yet he still needed to be cautious, for Samantha's sake, if nothing else.

Nothing could be worse for Samantha than for Lucas to get even more serious with Riley and then have the relationship go to pieces. Samantha needed stability, not the fear of disappointment. Although he didn't believe that would happen with Riley, he hadn't thought it would happen with Missy, either. At least not at first.

He'd known her career meant a lot to her—his had meant just as much—but he'd thought that they could still juggle their careers and a child. But fame is the most important thing to Missy. Not Samantha.

Lucas refocused on his work and an hour passed. He rose, checked on Samantha, who still playing with her dolls, and went out on the deck to stretch.

His thoughts turned once again to Riley, suddenly realizing that her sense of focus and drive rivaled Missy's. The idea stunned him. Did Riley also need total freedom to pursue the things she's passionate about? Before, his doubts about their relationship had been based on Samantha and not wanting to hurt her. But this was a more immediate, personal concern. Was he stepping back into the same trap?

What if she, like Missy, wasn't ready to settle down? And another big question—could he give Riley the space and freedom to be the woman with whom he was falling in love and still have her be part of their family the way he wanted her to be?

This whole relationship wasn't nearly as cut and dried as it had seemed. Yesterday had been ideal, but he couldn't commit the rest of his life because of how perfect his days with Riley had been.

Confused and frustrated, he found it nearly impossible to work productively when he returned to his office. No one had ever touched him the way Riley did.

He shook off his demons and finally built up a head of steam on the statements laying on his desk, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

Irritated by the intrusion, he shoved back his chair, strode to the door and flung it open.

His stomach imploded when he saw who it was.

 _Missy._


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you - thank you for the comments...I can't tell you how happy I am that you guys are enjoying this story.**

 _XxxxxxxxxX_

 **Chapter 10**

"Lucas, it's been a while." The stylishly dressed woman seemed totally out of place on his porch.

Flushed with anger, he glared at her. "Missy, what are you doing here?"

"I was in the area," she whispered. Then her voice gained strength. "I've come to see my daughter."

"This is totally inappropriate," Lucas said in a raised voice. "Why are you really here Missy?" He took hold of her elbow and ushered her onto the side deck, barely able to contain his fury. "You have to leave. Now."

"Will you at least let me see my daughter?"

"You have no right to call her your daughter, nor any claim to her."

She laid a conciliatory hand on his arm. "Please, just hear me out."

He shook her off. "I can't imagine anything you could say to change my mind. You're the one who left. You're the one who never communicated anything except a signature on the cheque." Clenching his teeth, he bit back an oath. "There's only one criterion to apply in this situation—what is best for Samantha."

Missy folded her arms across her chest and stared at her feet, as if submitting to the bludgeon of his words. "I've lived with regret, believe me. I can't explain to you exactly what was going on with me after Samantha came along. All I know is that I'm not ready to be a mother. I thought the best way is to give her to you and for me to leave."

"Do you want me to thank you? It's been six years, Missy, and here's a news flash—we have a new life, a happy, satisfying one. And it doesn't include you."

"I was afraid you'd say that." She hesitated then looked him in the eye. "Does Samantha ask about me? Wonder who I am?"

"Not really. It's pretty hard for anyone to understand, much less a baby, how his mother could walk away and reject her."

"But it was me, not her. I made some mistakes, but some things have happened since…" She trailed off, biting her lip as if struggling for emotional control. "I, uh, was in a relationship up until last year. I had two miscarriages, the last resulting in a hysterectomy. I wanted those children, Lucas. I can't get them back, but Samantha…"

Steeling himself, Lucas said, "I'm sorry you've had a rough patch, but it's not Samantha's responsibility to make it up to you."

"I know that. I'm not here to intrude on her life or demand to become part of it. That would be up to her…and to you."

"Then why are you here?"

To his surprise, her eyes filled. "I need to see for myself. How she's grown, that she's okay, if we could talk occasionally." With a forefinger, she wiped away a teardrop. Then her expression stiffened. "I'd prefer not to resort to legal means."

A cool gust of wind caused Lucas to shudder. The specter of a legal battle overwhelmed him. Was it selfish to keep Samantha's mother from her? Yet what psychological damage might a reunion do to his daughter? To him? Where was the line between what was best for Samantha and his own vulnerability as a parent? As a man?

"All right, Missy. I won't keep you from seeing her. But at the very least, I need to prepare Samantha. Come back tomorrow afternoon around four."

"Thank you. I promise not to make this any more difficult than it already is."

After she left, Lucas stood on the porch, frozen with the knowledge that in a few short moments everything would change. He prayed he could find the right words to prepare his daughter.

Finally, he went inside and reluctantly made his way to Samantha's room. Opening the door, he stared at his daughter. "Sammy, I need to talk to you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Is she going to take me away?"

Lucas tensed. "Of course not. She just want to see you."

"I don't want to see her daddy," Samantha said.

He tried to not resent anybody but right now Lucas wants to strangle Missy. He hates seeing his daughter sad. Part of him wants to fight Missy but Samantha would only be a child for a short time and as far as he was concerned, he would give her happy memories even if that involves the woman he dislike. "I thought you wanted a mommy."

"I do. I want Miss Riley to be my mommy."

"Sammy—"

"No! I don't want someone else. I want Miss Riley!"

With heavy heart Lucas left Samantha's room to prepare dinner. How does one argue with an almost six year old child? Samantha is way too young to understand what's going on.

xXxXxXx

Riley had spent most of the day reflecting on the Colorado job offer. It should feel like the culmination of hard work; instead, it seemed anticlimactic. There was only one reason for that—Lucas Friar. Yes, they enjoyed each other's company, but could she throw over a fabulous opportunity for the mere possibility that he might care as much for her as she does for him?

She did her best not to think and focus instead on her little students. By the time they were back from recess, Riley knew what she was going to do, even if it might prove to be the riskiest decision she had ever made.

Jobs were plentiful, but there was only one Lucas.

She was just about to start another lesson when she saw Samantha silently crying. Alarmed, she went to the little girl.

Quickly she hugged Samantha. "Honey, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Do you like me Miss Riley?" Before she could answer, she went on. "Cause I really, really like you."

"Of course I like you." She didn't seem to want to meet her eyes. She waited.

"Samantha, has something happened? Did you have a fight with someone? Do you want me to call your daddy?"

"No. I don't want daddy." Her pleading look worried her. "I don't like him right now."

The statement stunned her. "Samantha?" she coaxed, "tell me what's wrong."

"It's her. She's come."

Mystified, Riley prompted her. "Who?"

She spat out the words "My mommy." She struggled for breath. "I hate her. I don't want her here. I don't want to see her and—"

Riley stopped her with a "Shh" before she got more worked up. With her arm around her, she cuddled her close, sensing her anger and hurt. She knew she had to phone Lucas, but right now Samantha was her priority. "Would it be so bad to see her?"

"I don't want to go with her!"

"Oh sweetheart, she can't take you with her. Your daddy and Pappy Joe won't let her take you." She hesitated, searching for words. "Aren't you the tiniest bit curious about her?"

"No. She doesn't like me."

"You don't know that." She ran her fingers soothingly through her hair. "Adults sometimes do crazy things. Things they regret, and sometimes things they can't change." Even as she uttered this consolation, Riley struggled with her anger at the woman who had just appeared out of the blue and shattered Samantha's world. "You know, your dad will be there, and he won't let anyone take you away."

"And you'll be there, too, right?"

Lucas never mentioned Samantha's mother to her and, that could be awkward, but Riley couldn't deny Samantha. "I'll stay long enough to see make sure you are okay." She hugged her to her. "I'll go call your dad and tell him I'll bring you home."

"Okay, I guess," she said, looking as dejected as she'd ever seen her.

When Riley returned from phoning a relieved Lucas, Samantha stood and slowly pulled a crumpled paper from her jeans pocket. "For you," she said, holding it out to her.

She withdrew the paper and only with steel control did she keep from bursting into tears. Drawn were stick people: Pappy Joe, Lucas, Samantha and Riley and the words "The Friar Family."

She couldn't speak. Only a hug would do.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello lovely readers I want to thank you again for the love and appreciation that you have given to this story. It's almost over but as mentioned before I have two new stories that I have recently completed.**

 **This chapter is a bit short but trust me when I say it'll be worth it and to satisfy you amazing readers out there I have posted the first chapter for Let Me In.**

 _Preview:_

"Always the same, love. A handsome devil for sure, but why the same man over and over and over again?"

"He watches over me…I think. I see him in my dreams."

The eyes were finished, but they were wrong. They were too dark and angry, almost frightening. Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck as I looked into the wrong eyes for the hundredth time.

"A guardian, you say? Like an angel?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Chapter 11**

Huddled in the passenger seat, Samantha didn't speak until they'd stopped in Lucas' driveway. "I wish you were my mommy."

Riley parked, then turned to the pale-faced girl. "Thank you. If I had a daughter, I'd want her to be just like you."

"Do I hafta go in?"

"You know the answer. Keep an open mind. She might surprise you."

"Okay," she said, climbing from the car. On the way up the walk, she slipped her hand into hers, a poignant plea for moral support.

Lucas threw open the door. Gathering Samantha in his arms, he said, "Princess, are you okay?"

Beyond the two of them, Riley could see a tall, slender woman with fashion-model good looks standing with her hands clutched together.

Riley approached father and daughter. "I'll be going now." But before she could stoop to hug Samantha, she yelled an explosive "No!" and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"You can't go. You promised." Lucas caught her eye with a helpless gaze.

"Samantha, I said I'd bring you home, but now—"

She faced her father defiantly. "I want Miss Riley."

Riley wanted to run. She had no role in this unfolding drama, no experience to tell her what to say or how to act. "Lucas, I'm sorry. I don't know where she got the idea that—"

Lucas shushed her. "It's okay. Maybe it'll be better if you come in."

"Please!" Samantha embraced her again. She was trembling, and when she cupped her face in her hands, she felt feverish.

Riley closed her eyes, seeking clarity. She may have no experience, but she did have a lot of love for this little girl. Hopefully that would be enough to guide her. "Okay, Samantha, I'll come in, but just for a few minutes."

Lucas put his arm on the girl's shoulder. "I'll be right here with you, princess."

The three of them entered the living room. "Missy, this is my friend Riley. And Samantha." He gently shoved his daughter forward.

Riley held her breath. Missy crumpled onto the edge of the sofa. "Oh, Lucas, she's so big." She held out her arms. "Samantha, would you come sit with me?"

It was then Riley noticed that Samantha had closed her eyes and was refusing to look at her mother.

"Samantha," Lucas intervened. "Can't you say hello?"

Like a wet dog emerging from a pond, Samantha shook her head violently back and forth.

Riley watched helplessly. The three of them were frozen in tableau: Missy, perched on the edge of her seat; Lucas, staring at his daughter with a tortured expression; and Samantha, her face scrunched up in denial.

Missy broke the silence. "I shouldn't have come. I thought…it might be different."

"I don't like you." Samantha's voice was strained as she struggled not to cry.

Lucas seemed immobilized by his daughter's vehemence.

Riley wanted to help, but she was afraid she didn't fit in. Afraid she didn't belong. "I don't feel good," Samantha mumbled, holding her stomach. Riley reached her side just as she staggered toward the bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye, Riley caught Missy's reaction—shock, regret, distaste and helplessness.

Supporting the girl, Riley held her as she got sick. "Oh, Samantha," she soothed, "let's get you cleaned up and into bed. You've had a rough day."

Lucas helped her settle Samantha, promising her she didn't have to talk to her mother ifs he didn't want to.

Lucas kissed her good-night and left the room, but when Riley tried to leave, Samantha grabbed her hand. "Don't go, Miss Riley."

Riley spoke to her in a calming tone. "Samantha, didn't you see? Your mother isn't a monster. She's probably a very lonely woman who realizes she made a big mistake."

Samantha fixed soulful eyes on her. "She may need love a lot more than you do. It takes a pretty big girl to not hate anyone." She paused to be sure she had her attention. "But I believe you can do that. Will you think about it?"

She nodded then closed her eyes. After several minutes, she slipped from the room. Entering the living room, she saw that Lucas and Missy were deep in conversation. She paused briefly to say, "She's sleeping." Then she left.

Reviewing the evening on the drive home, she reached an inevitable conclusion. In a matter of hours, everything had changed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

After Riley left, Lucas checked on Samantha before returning to settle things with Missy. They couldn't put Samantha through such turmoil again. Without Riley's soothing presence, awkward as it was, the situation would've been even more difficult.

Missy waited, hands folded in her lap. Beneath her makeup, Lucas saw a woman who was a lot less put together than she seemed.

Lucas selected a chair across the room, struggling to find something to say between the anger and the sympathy he felt toward her.

"I should've called." She fingered her scarf. "I'm sorry."

He leaned forward. "What is it exactly you are hoping to accomplish here? If it's only curiosity, we're done. You've seen her. It's over."

She avoided a direct answer. "Maybe I wasn't cut out for motherhood. I never dealt well with dirty diapers, spinach-covered bibs, tantrums. You were the calm one and that's saying something since we both know you have a temper." She paused. "You've done a good job with her, Lucas."

It took great restraint to sit there and listen to Missy give him a compliment. "I'm not interested in the past."

She returned to his question. "What do I want? My career's calmed down now, but I still can't be a regular part of her life." Her voice lowered. "Nor do I deserve to be. Maybe you could send pictures, keep me informed?"

"I could do that, but any relationship with Samantha has to be on her terms."

"After tonight, I'm not hopeful about that."

 _So be it._ If he could, he'd undo this entire day for his daughter.

Missy angled herself toward Lucas. "It was never about you or her. I loved you as much as I was capable then of loving anyone. Do you know how hard I worked to get where I am at? How much I wanted this?"

Lucas stared at her. "Believe me Missy, I know. More than anything in this world, all you care about is you."

"Oh please. You were the same." She laid a hand on his knee. He didn't flinch, but looked up as if daring her to go on. "We could have been great together. A power couple. But you changed and you expected me to change too." She held his gaze, "I shouldn't have let you go."

"You didn't let me go Missy. You let our daughter go. She's an amazing child and I will always be grateful to you for having her but I will not let you hurt my daughter. I will send you pictures of her but any other contact would be up to Samantha."

"That's all I can ask," Missy said. "Could I phone you sometimes?"

"No."

Missy rose to her feet. "Thank you. I'll go now." At the door, she turned back to Lucas. "If you change your mind, you know where to reach me."

Lucas closed his eyes, he and Samantha could live without Missy. But one thing was certain—they couldn't heal without Riley.

 ** _xxxxx_**

"Please tell me you're joking!" Maya asked as she tried her best to keep her voice calm.

Riley squeezed the bridge of her nose to try and offset her growing heartache. "No. I lost peaches. I missed the shot."

"Do you want me to come?"

"Thanks Maya but you don't have to. You have an Art Gala to prepare for. It's enough that you're talking to me right now."

"I love you peaches."

"I love you too Maya."

 _ **xxxxx**_

Bleary-eyed, Riley tried to concentrate on the paperwork piled on her desk the morning after the debacle at Lucas'. She'd lain awake most of the night replaying the scene. Samantha had worked herself into an emotional frenzy, Lucas had clearly been trapped in an impossible situation, and she herself had no business being any part of it.

Above all, the image of the stylishly clad, artfully made up Missy had haunted her thoughts. Obviously the woman was trying to reestablish a relationship with Lucas and Samantha. Poor Samantha, who wanted a mother more than anything.

Shoving aside the drafts of the Woman's Group monthly calendar, she stared out the window at the gathering rain clouds.

Samantha's drawing had touched her to the core. Yet the sentiment had made her uncomfortable, especially in light of Missy's appearance.

Irrational as she knew it might be, she couldn't help comparing herself to Missy. There was a world of difference between the woman's traveled, chic appearance and her own blue-jean-and-sweatshirt wardrobe. If Missy had attracted Lucas at one point, there was no way he could find a regular girl like her interesting.

Besides, Samantha needed time and space to reconnect with her mother. No matter how much she cared for Samantha—and Lucas—it didn't seem fair to put herself between them and a possible reconciliation with Missy. And yet, was bowing out, running away, only her way of retreating behind her old defenses?

The ring of her phone interrupted her thoughts. Checking the caller ID, she saw it was Lucas. She let the call go to the answering machine. She couldn't face him until she got herself straightened out.

When she checked the message, she gripped the arms of her chair. _Riley, I'm sorry you're not there. I wanted to thank you for helping with Samantha last night. You were a godsend. She felt better this morning. Any chance you'd be free later? I need to talk to you. Call me._

Her stomach churned. Undoubtedly he wanted to break it off with her. Whatever "it" was. She mentally kicked herself. Dumb, dumb, dumb. For a long time she'd succeeded in protecting herself from the trauma of romance. Now she was knee-deep in it, and it hurt. But that was the price of risking, and in the end, she wouldn't go back to the way she'd been living.

On her laptop, she pulled up the website for the Colorado leadership school. Pristine mountains, rushing trout streams, Alpine flowers.

All night she had tried to talk herself into accepting the position there. Bottom line, she'd grown way too attached to Lucas and Samantha. Wouldn't the unselfish decision be to step back and let them work on bonding with Missy?

Riley had often heard it said that when one door closes, you need a new door. And that "door" had been offered to her at exactly the right moment. But was going to Colorado her way of closing the door on a life with Lucas and Samantha? She realized that taking the job would be the easy way out. And she'd never been a coward.

She picked up the phone to call her friend in Colorado.

Later that afternoon she was setting up the mats for the next day's story time when Mrs. Merrick, the principal stopped by.

"There's a rumor going around that you were talking about a job transfer. What's going on?"

One of the joys of a small town—you could never keep anything a secret. "A friend offered me a very tempting job in Colorado and I was considering it—"

" _What?_ I'm stunned. You're such an important part of this community." She shook her head in disbelief. "Wow. Are you serious about taking that job? Can we do something to change your mind?"

"No, I haven't really decided anything. I didn't mean for anyone to find out until I knew what was in my heart." And, Riley realized, her heart had known what it wanted all along.

 ** _xxxxx_**

Lucas glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time. Samantha would be home soon, and Riley still hadn't returned his call. Was she avoiding him? Had something happened?

Last night had made everything clearer. Missy would never be the involved, day-to-day mother Samantha needed. More important, he'd realized that Riley was nothing like Missy. Riley had handled the situation with grace. He would never forget how tenderly she had cared for Samantha, tucking her into bed with a kiss.

Lucas had wasted too much time being cautious with Riley. Between her connection with Samantha and the way she made him feel, he could do nothing less than pursue her with everything he had.

The door burst open and Samantha immediately started shouting, her voice panicky. "Daddy, daddy, you gotta do something. She's leaving."

"Who is?"

"Miss Riley. She's moving to Colorado."

" _What?_ Who told you this?"

"Josh. Ms. Barnes told his mommy."

Lucas leaned over, hands on his knees, scarcely able to breathe.

"Daddy, are you okay?"

He straightened up. Samantha grabbed Lucas' hand. "C'mon. We gotta stop her. You like her a lot, right?"

"Yes, I do." _Like_ wasn't the right word. He was madly in love with the woman.

"Then we gotta go to her house and ask her to marry us."

Like a breath of cleansing air, the suggestion buoyed Lucas. He grinned. "Princess, that's exactly what we need to do."

 ** _xxxxx_**

That evening, dressed in their Sunday best and bearing a huge bouquet of roses, father and daughter arrived at Riley's, unannounced.

She answered the door wearing fuzzy slippers, flannel pajama bottoms and a ribbed T-shirt. "What are you doing here?"

Samantha beamed. "Bringing you flowers."

She ushered them in, flustered, she took the bouquet. "Samantha, let's find a vase for the roses."

While they were in the kitchen, Lucas noticed a paper lying on the coffee table. "The Friar Family," he read. He knew beyond a doubt that he was doing the right thing to propose. Riley was, indeed, the perfect mommy for his daughter.

Trailed by Samantha, who was giving him a thumbs-up, Riley placed the flowers on the mantel then faced them. "I… I don't know what to say."

"Daddy?"

Summoning all his courage and love, Lucas took her by the hand. "Samantha and I would like to ask you to please marry us."

He could feel her trembling. Before she could say anything, he went on. "We know about the Colorado job. We don't want you to go. Because…" he pulled her into an embrace "…because we need you, we love you. I love you."

Riley allowed herself to be held, then stepped back. "But what about Missy?"

Looking up at Riley, Samantha answered. "Daddy said she'll be my sometimes mommy. But you're my everyday mommy."

Tears pooled in Riley's eyes. She knelt and took the girl in her arms. "I decided _not_ to take the job. I would much rather take the position of mommy."

"Does that mean yes?"

She stood and laid her palms on Lucas' chest. "I can't live without you," she whispered for his ears alone.

"Well?" Samantha was literally dancing with suspense.

Riley looked from one to the other. "Who wants a silly old job in Colorado anyway? Not when I can have the two of you."

"Forever?" Samantha asked, needing reassurance.

"Forever," both Lucas and Riley said at the same time.

Samantha pumped her fist in the air. "YAY!"

 _ **The End**_

 _ **Thank you. Thank you. You guys had been great. I am so happy that you enjoyed this story. It's been a pleasure writing this but like all good things this also had to end but if there's an ending there's also a new beginning. Please check out Let Me In and also keep posted for my next story My Boys...**_

 ** _till next time my lovely readers :)_**


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